The 10 most-read pipes|drums Feature articles and Opinion pieces of 2025

We determined the 10 most-read Results reports of 2025, and now it’s time to determine the 10 most-read (or viewed) Feature and Opinion articles of the year.

These are the stories that shone a light on topics and opinions, which aren’t “News,” per se, although sometimes simply bringing the issues to light can be considered newsworthy.

We were delighted to see more contributions from those who are willing to share their wisdom and occasionally courageous opinions.

Here are the 10 most-read/viewed pipes|drums Feature and Opinion articles of 2025:

World’s prize money is nice, but not the gold at rainbow’s end – Following our report on the prize money offered throughout the grades at the 2025 World Championships, our feature delved into the thoughts of pipe band leaders on whether cash awards even matter.

Leading lights pay tribute to the late, great Ian McLellan – Still fresh and raw is the passing of the legendary McLellan, but many who had special relationships continue to share their memories and thoughts about the great man. Those who experienced Pipe-Major Ian McLellan’s Strathclyde Police during their 15-year run as one of the most competitively dominating bands in history heard something unique and prized. Those who weren’t so fortunate should be sure to listen to the many recordings of the group in full flight.

Remembering Bill Livingstone – In February, those who knew the late, great Livingstone well and were always faithful to him as a friend shared their memories of this singularly talented, entertaining and intricate man. The piping and drumming world lost a lot but gained so much. It’s impossible to encapsulate a person’s life and contributions in words, but these contributors came close.

The Times, They Are a-Changin’ – Piping Live! 2025, Monday, August 11th – We were pleasantly surprised that the first report by the redoubtable Iain MacDonald (Regina) from the 2025 Piping Live! Festival would garner such attention. Pithy, humorous, and honest are hallmarks of MacDonald’s prose and butter.

pipes|drums’ IWD25 in a single video! – Thanks to the profoundly important efforts of Eilidh MacDonald, we used our Instagram account to share videos from women and men in piping and drumming to mark 2025 International Women’s Day. Understanding that not all pipes|drums followers use the IG publishing platform, we encapsulated all of the reels into a single video that captured even more attention on this critically important topic.\

The future of Johnstone’s Grade 1 band – After his band delivered yet more under-appreciated performances at the 2025 World Championships, Pipe-Major Donald Mackay of the now-defunct Grade 1 Johnstone made a last-ditch plea to prospective pipers and drummers to consider joining a band that’s more a musical family than a competition-thirsty machine. Sadly, it would not be enough to save Johnstone organization’s top group.

Guest opinion: A collaborative grading framework for international pipe band competition – Pipe-Major Adam Holdaway of Boston’s Commonwealth Pipes & Drums converted his second significant experience with grading confusion into a positive proposal for change. He doesn’t just raise concerns; he proposes a sensible solution to a problem that will persist without action. A new era of constructively courageous contribution at its best.

Guest opinion: Strength at the top, strain below – regulate max numbers before it’s too late – Scott Armit contributed an outspoken, thought-provoking and compelling scrutiny of the idea of establishing maximum numbers for pipe band sections, competing members, or overall rosters. Eloquent and outspoken, Armit lays it down with maximum street cred.

Opinion: An open letter to the pipe band community from Ewan Henderson – In a frank and heartfelt piece, former Grade 1 Police Scotland & Federation pipe-major Ewan Henderson put a brilliant spotlight on ever-increasing problems with competitive pipe bands. The piping and drumming world sat up and noticed. Only by discussing previously taboo issues can we ever hope to make positive change in our relatively small, but nonetheless precious, piping and drumming world.

And the most-read/viewed pipes|drums Feature or Opinion piece of 2025 . . . 

Inveraray’s “Dream Valley” medley: Liddell, McWhirter, and Henderson analyze the music that sealed the 2025 World Championship – In the more than three decades of publishing pipes|drums, this sensational and informative analysis of the 2025 World Champion Inveraray & District’s Saturday selection could well be our favourite. Pipe-Major Stuart Liddell, Lead-Drummer Steven McWhirter, and Pipe-Sergeant Alasdair Henderson took us deep into the subtleties, nuances, and genius thought processes that went into a medley that might have set a new musical benchmark for the art.

Stay tuned for the 10 most-read pipes|drums News stories of 2025, coming soon.